Inside our Little House in the Middle of the Woods....

It's been three weeks. All is well. Christmas was certainly different than ever before. We missed being with family and friends but did just fine. If one of us would get a little moody or down, we'd just encourage each other to think of the good times we've had in the past.

Our little house in the middle of the woods is warm and comfy. I am trying to send pictures so you can get the idea of what it is like. It is a 30 foot single wide mobile home.  It must be insulated pretty good because we have not been cold. We just have a plug in radiator / heater in both the bedroom and living/kitchen area. So far the coldest has only been 24 degrees, but tomorrow is supposed to get down to 7.  

Our Dining Room

Sofa and Coat Closet

As you can see from pics there are places for our things, but mostly open shelfs and hooks on the walls. In case you hadn't heard they did get me a "real" stove with an oven. There is no place to store the pots and pans so they are always on the stove looking like dinner is well on it's way. When we have the young Elder to dinner we have to pull the table out. We do have 3 folding chairs and could borrow a 4th if needed.

Besides the three other couples we have just one "young" Elder. They like to have two to four but no one else in the works right now. The call is a "service" mission for someone that may not be able to serve a regular mission for various reasons. Right now we have Elder Reed. It was our job to have him for dinner every day last week.  Boy, does he eat a lot! Anyway, we got to know him better and we played Runs and Bunches each night after dinner. He loved it (and the food). I think he would like us to adopt him.

The Kitchen

Our Pantry

This week Dad became a Lumber Jack. Still no snow so the crew went into the forest, looked for trees that were the exact size (thin but at least 30 ft tall) and then chop them down, cut off all limbs, haul to the shop to remove all bark down to raw wood and then sand smooth. They needed 30 of them. These are for the giant tepees that will be put up in the spring.

I am well into cooking mode. Past two weeks I have made one meal a day but starting Jan 2 - I will be doing 2. Any fun new menu ideas? I am going through the Bodell Bistro Cookbook at a rapid pace. Send recipes with your ideas please. Actually, I need someone to send the Corney Corn recipe - please.

Dad had the spiritual thought yesterday and talked about David Bednar's talk about "Tender Mercies."  He did a great job, the spirit was strong and he even had some of us in tears. Partly the holiday and partly the time of year, but we have thought about our David a lot, and have felt his presence with us. We have also felt your love and support through your prayers - just as we have prayed for you.
Love - Mom

Christmas Thoughts from Dad

(Our Church Building in the Middle of the Woods)

Today I have been reminiscing about the many Christmases in my life and about the fact that were away from our loved ones for the first time ever.

The one I remember by far the most vividly as a child, was the year I woke up in the night and snuck down the stairs to see if Santa had come yet.  "Yep" he'd come alright!  There was my fort Apache set that I'd asked for. The soldiers and Indians, the horses - all of it!  Ohhh, but now what? What was the thing about if you peeked at a present, you wouldn't actually get it. I hurried back to bed and worried. How would Santa know I had looked and seen my present? Well, he knows if you've been good or bad - right? Should I go tell my parents and they could make it all right with Santa? Maybe I was still good for this year - but that would mean I was already bad for next. Oh, what to do, what to do. I finally fell back to sleep and when the family got up I just went ahead as usual and was thrilled with my Fort Apache.

Skip ahead many years and my first Christmas with my bride of three months in our little apartment on the third floor of the Eastcliff.  We were so excited. We had our own tree and I even remember what I got her. It was a pair of blue and white spectator shoes. She loved them and was so pleased that I had picked out something by myself that she just loved. (Of course, the fact that I was working that year in the shoe department at Auerbach's Department store should have given her a clue as to what it would be.)

Then there were the Christmases with our own children. Some years there was more than others, but I think our kids would say they grew up with some pretty good Christmases. I'll always remember the Christmas of the skis. I was a skier and I thought my three oldest were old enough to learn. It was expensive, but we planned ahead and they all three got all the gear.  I was so excited for them!

Santa hid the skis out on the front porch and so the three big kids couldn't find anything for them. The two younger ones had wrapped gifts and they couldn't open them until the first three found theirs. Finally, I gave them a clue and they all ran out to the front porch, with five year old, David, following them. Seconds later, David came back in saying, "boring, boring boring." I know it's on video and we can still watch it should you want to, but the intensity of that "boring, boring, boring" defines David and his life - the way He lived and loved everything to the fullest.

Now, that brings me to our worst Christmas, as Christmases go. It will forever (hopefully) be all of our worst Christmases. We had just lost our son, brother, uncle, husband and Daddy in a devastating car accident.  The usual Christmas rituals and activities became a blur. However, now, as I look back on it, I realize that it was by far the most spiritual and meaningful Christmas ever.  We came to know that year what sacrifice meant and what the life of the baby Jesus could mean to all of us. We experienced miracles of healing and revelation that I cannot deny. I came to know that God does live and that he did care for me and my family. I came to understand that through the restored gospel there are heavenly angels that can and do comfort and serve in time of need.

Now, today, brings about another type of Christmas. I have the privilege of sharing it with just my Sweetheart and wife of forty-six years. It's just the two of us here in the woods, in the strangest little cabin you ever did see. We have a little 3 foot tree with lights and bows. There are even a couple of presents under it. But by far the best is that I am here with her, and we are both physically and mentally able to serve our Heavenly Father at this time.  I feel I have waited a long time to serve a mission - and now I'm doing it! (And besides I like her for a companion much more than some 19 year old doofus with smelly feet.)

 Anyway, I want to end by saying "Merry Christmas to you all.  Love each other this happy time of year and know that we are remembering our pasts and the part you have all played.  The present, today and this next week we will be thinking of you and please know we will be praying for us as a family in the future."  Love, Dad

p.s. In case you wondered, my wife DID help with some of the writing of my thoughts.

There was a little house in the middle of the woods.
A little old man (Bruce) the window stood. 
Saw his sweetheart (Jimae) walking by-
Trying not to slip, or fall.
Help me! Help me! Help me she said
For this path I need a sled.......

OK, OK - enough of the cutesy.
We are here, in the middle of the woods and it is a very little house.
There is a young deer that seems to be hanging around and even though there is NO snow yet, there is ice. As usual both of us are terrified of me slipping and falling.

We have kept busy trying to figure things out. The manager isn't really the boss. At our daily morning briefing, he throws out things that need to be done and then the elders decide amongst themselves what they will each do. The sisters have more defined duties. Two of them are in the office doing all sorts of customer service from reservations to calming down the 12 people that called to tell us there was a horse caught in the fence. (Apparently Zeke was on his back having a good roll around and his hoofs got tangled in the fence and couldn't get up.) The other sister is in charge of the Lodge and bunkhouses people are staying in, meeting their needs and then checking them out and determining if they get their deposit back. This is different than places we have stayed before in that the price is cheap - but you have to totally clean it before leaving. I am learning the office stuff and computer reservation system. 

We had a family reunion here since Thursday, and they had a great time. lots of little girls going around their arms around each other because they are best cousins!   

Bruce/Dad/Elder Kenney has had work that has been very physical - hopefully building up strength and stamina. The cold hasn't bothered him too much yet, even though he is mostly working outside. 

Church today was interesting - it's a Branch - most of the year and then huge in the summer. Right now there are 10 kids in the Primary, 1 young woman and "0" young men.
They asked for the Ensign Ranch missionaries to come to choir practice to sing one song next week for the Christmas program.  Let's just say that there were only 8 people in the choir. 

We are warm in our little house and Dad made sure we had a comfy bed. We are doing good, although starting to think about Christmas and missing you all.

Arrival at Ensign Ranch!

Mom and Dad's arrival at Ensign Ranch: Stopping for some groceries on the way into the Ranch...no room left in the truck, so Mom must hold all the food.

Cute little cottage: